


Saviour

by zoediac_sign



Series: The Saviour Series [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, F/M, Post-Avengers (2012), Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Post-Thor: The Dark World
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-05
Updated: 2019-06-19
Packaged: 2020-04-08 01:19:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19096819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zoediac_sign/pseuds/zoediac_sign
Summary: The story of the girl who saved the world.





	1. Introduction

The first time she saw him was through a haze of tears and anger. A silhouette of darkness with raven-black hair and pale skin. As she struggled against strong arms dragging her forward, she watched as he turned to face her through the translucent wall. Time almost stopped. His face seemed statuesque as if he were carved from stone. No, not stone. Porcelain. He was tall, with a chiselled facial structure, and dressed in jet-black leather. She sensed that he was articulate and clever. His cold eyes seemed to pierce through her, watching her scream and writhe with an expression of mild interest. As their eyes met, she noted she could not tell whether his were green or blue. She felt uncomfortable under his gaze and refocused herself on escaping her captors. 

He heard her before he saw her, her anguished screams echoing around the prison walls. As he shifted himself towards the source of the sound, he was taken aback by the beautiful woman he saw writhing between the two Asgardian soldiers. Her face was streaked with tears and she was screeching like a banshee. Her hair was crimson fire, a fire which coursed through her entire being. He felt singed and burnt just looking at her, even without her touch. Her eyes were serpent green. She looked like a wild creature, wrestling and crying with that wild glare of rage. He realised that he was staring and almost felt ashamed. That he did not deserve to look at her pain. He fixed his gaze elsewhere and tried to drown out her howling with his own, desolate thoughts.


	2. Walls

*Loki*

The guards forced the girl into the cell next to him, much to his distaste, and her screams continued into the night. It was as if she were possessed by some foul demon who would not let her rest. She threw herself at the walls of her cell constantly, as if by some miracle they would break and set her free. His initial feelings of pity soon vanished, and he watched her with growing annoyance as she was ruining the tranquillity he needed to continue with his studies.

"These walls are unbreakable. Do you not think I have tested them? If I cannot tear them down then you will surely be unable." he shouted after a night of unrest. The girl simply paused in her madness to glare at him with those eyes of fire, before turning back to the walls and howling.

He did not know how many hours passed before the screaming ceased, but he soon discovered that what came next was worse. Her quiet sobs rang through the usually silent prison, filling him with anger. He knew he had committed great crimes, but no crime was worth the sentence of this torture. Her cries seemed to sting his ears, and he longed for peace.

Her tears went on for what seemed like days, keeping him awake. For some reason, he could tell that whatever this girl had been incarcerated for had been unjust. She seemed confused and frustrated, as if she had no recollection of why she was imprisoned.

Eventually, the little flame burnt herself out. She collapsed in the bed she had been provided with and fell silent. He sighed and closed his eyes, longing for slumber. For some reason, he could not sleep. Thoughts of what this girl could have done to find herself in such a jail, the jail of the Allfather himself, raced through his mind. He rolled over to look at her, seeing a fragile body in a tight ball on her bed. As he gazed upon her sleeping form, his mind finally allowed him to rest and his eyes closed once more- to sleep this time.

When he awoke, he saw that she was sitting up, chewing on some loose skin on her thumb and staring into space. Her crimson hair hung limply on her shoulders and her eyes were dull. He stood up and crossed over to their adjacent walls, before sitting in his chair facing her with his elbows on his knees and his chin resting on his hands.

"Thank you for finally letting me sleep." he chided at her. Months of boredom had him longing for confrontation.

"You are very welcome." she threw back at him, her eyes rising to meet his with a look of defiance set firmly on her face.

"Come on then, what could you possibly have done to get yourself locked in this cesspit? It must be an interesting tale." he asked, trying not to let his guard down, but struggling to hide his intrigue.

"What is it to do with you?" she replied angrily.

"This is the jail I have been sentenced to fester in for all eternity, and apart from the guards, I have not seen another being for months. Help me fill my endless days with something thrilling. I live for a good sob story." he answered, reclining back in his chair and crossing his legs.

"Well I hate to disappoint." she retorted, and he saw tears once again fill those emerald eyes. He mellowed at this and despised himself for it.

"Look, if you are in this prison, this isn't going to be a short-stay retreat. We may as well get to know each other if we are going to be neighbours for eternity." he murmured softly.

"You want the truth about why I am here?" she rose from the bed and walked towards their wall. She stood facing him, and he noted to himself how small she was. Up close, he could see the details of her face. Her eyes and nose were red raw from the crying, but aside from that, her complexion was pale and clear with a single random freckle on her forehead. Her eyelashes were long, but still wet with tears. She was dazzlingly beautiful, and he was taken aback by how her appearance made him feel. He felt like a teenager with a crush. This was not like him, and he scolded himself for his weakness. He stood up and faced her in front of their wall.

"Go on. How exciting.' he smirked at her, causing a flush to brush her cheeks.

"I have absolutely no idea." she stated, her voice cracking slightly.

"Well that was inherently disappointing." he complained, returning to his seat.

"Again, I so hate to disappoint you, but I know as much about why I am here as you do. All I remember was that I was walking through London in the rain and some men in gold armour dragged me through a rainbow in the sky. Wow, a rainbow in the sky. I have lost my mind." she mumbled.

"London? You are from Midgard?' he straightened in his chair. "That is interesting."

"Midgard? I am from Earth. It seems weird to have to clarify that." she answered with a puzzled expression.

"Midgard is one of the nine realms and is our Asgardian name for Earth. You are on Asgard now." he told her, enjoying watching more confusion wash over her face.

"I thought the stories of Asgard and the nine realms were just old Norse mythology." she stared at him in wonder.

"Surprise!" he made jazz-hands and chuckled at the expression on her face.

"Oh, please don't tell me you are some type of god." she emphasised, making the gestures with her fingers. He stood up, smirking, and walked to the wall again.

"I am Loki, Prince of Asgard, the Rightful King of Jotunheim, and God of Mischief." he waved his arm with a flourish and transformed his plain black robes into a leather suit of black and green. A golden horned helmet adorned his head. She rolled her eyes.

"Consider me unimpressed. That hat is impractical and black is overrated. Let us change the subject. If you are a prince and rightful king, how come you are down here with me?" she retorted. His face fell and he transformed back to his previous outfit, the helmet fading away.

"I thought I was supposed to be asking the questions?" he chided, caught off guard.

"We may as well get to know each other if we are going to be neighbours for eternity." she mimicked, causing a prickle of anger to flower in his head. Loki scowled at her.

"Hilarious. You are truly amusing."

"Hang on a minute. I know that pointy hat. Aren't you the guy who invaded New York City with those funky lizards? How did that work out for you?' she remembers, recalling the attack.

"Funky lizards? They were extra-terrestrial warriors." he answered coolly. "You can see exactly how that worked out for me. Are you not scared to be speaking to a mass murderer?" She pondered for a second before answering him.

"Not really. These walls are pretty impenetrable, and I doubt your self-righteous and arrogant words will be what kills me off." she retorted, smirking.

"Well here is a fun fact for you, the wall between the two of us is not nearly half as strong as the wall out of here." he replied, pointing at the front wall. "They made them this way so they could change the sizes easily but the prisoner could still not escape."

"Break through it then." she countered, not blinking. Loki noted that for someone so small, she was incredibly defiant. If she weren't merely mortal, he may have been afraid of her.

"Believe me, if it weren't for these chains, I would have done the second you came in here making that horrendous noise." he hissed back at her, holding his arms in the air so she could see the near-invisible handcuffs. She really was infuriating. She rolled her eyes.

"Wow, please do forgive me for having feelings. We can't all be cold, unforgiving mass murderers like you." she replied. He recoiled as if hit. Loki knew what he had done and he thought he had processed it properly, but hearing another being talk about him that way stung him.

"It wasn't like that. I wasn't supposed to be like that." his voice cracked, and he looked down.

"Your words, not mine." she softened slightly. "But it is your shit. You have to own it. If you weren't supposed to be like that, then just... don't be like that." Loki was grateful for her words but ashamed that he let his guard down in front of her. He collected himself for a second before he spoke.

"Let us change the subject. What is your name?" he asked.

"My name is Ayanna Young." she blushed as if embarrassed. "I don't have exciting titles like you."

"Ayanna Young. I am pleased to make your acquaintance." Loki bowed, smirking as he rose.


	3. Memories

*Loki*

Loki pretended to read his books for many hours, instead sneaking glances at the girl in the cell next to him at every given opportunity. She ignored all the food brought to her, and seldom went on the bathroom excursions provided by the guards. She either paced around her cell slowly or sat on the end of her bed, staring into space. Even though Ayanna seemed flat and beaten down, he discovered that she still had a fiery sense of humour.

“You haven’t turned the page in hours. Are you a slow reader or is there something distracting you?” she smirked at him.

“I have read this tome before.” he grumbled, irritated that he had been caught out.

“Hmmm... okay then big guy.” she chuckled to herself, and the melody of her laugh tore through him like an arrow. He hated how full of light this little spark made him feel, but at the same time, he was addicted. She thought for a minute before continuing. “Could you tell me more about Asgard?”

“What do you wish to know? It is a realm filled with supposedly peacekeeping people who seem to relish war a little too much for comfort.” he answered. Loki gazed at the wall wistfully. “I grew up here, always feeling like I never belonged, always competing with him and wondering why I could never-” he stopped himself.

“If you get to ask a question, then I also get to ask a question.” “Go on then. I am an open book.” Ayanna smiled at him, evidently pleased she had nearly gotten him to open up about himself. He mentally kicked himself for his weakness.

“What is your first childhood memory.” he inquired, putting his books on the floor and taking a swig of the goblet on his side table. Ayanna visibly blanched at his question. She scuffed her feet awkwardly on the floor.

“Well here is the funny thing... I don’t have any.” she mumbled quietly. “For some reason, I have no recollection of my life before I turned 13 years old.” Loki gaped at her with wide eyes.

“Were you in an accident? What happened?” he asked, shocked by her answer.

“I thought that it was my turn to ask a que-” she started to reply before being interrupted.

“Answer me.” he urged her.

“I don’t remember anything happening to me, I just found myself stumbling around London with no idea who I was or where I came from. A man saw me walking around and called the police. I ended up in a care home –a place for orphaned children- before being placed with a kind old lady named Irene.” her eyes filled with tears. “I stayed with her until she passed away. I was eighteen at this point so I got turned away from the home I came from, as that’s when the government don’t have to help you anymore. I have been scraping by- Irene Young didn’t have any family so I was bequeathed her flat. I work most days to afford to survive. She was the best thing that ever happened to me and I miss her more than anything.” she finished, breathless from her outburst. Ayanna flushed, pink tinging her cheeks. Loki struggled for words, unused to dealing with the grief of another.

“I-I’m sorry.” he stuttered, dropping his gaze to the floor. She sighed and sniffled slightly, before straightening up and looking towards him.

“Thank you.” she smiled gratefully, and again he felt that spark deep inside, fizzing away. “I do know one thing, however.”

“And what is that, may I ask?” Loki replied, fixing his gaze on hers. Ayanna swallowed.

“I can’t even say it out loud because I sound like such an idiot.” She giggled nervously. Loki just kept staring at her, waiting for her to continue. She sighed and went on. “For some reason, and I truly don’t know how this happens, but I can play any musical instrument perfectly, even if I haven’t played it before… If I listen to a song once I can play it effortlessly.”

“How truly extraordinary.” Loki grinned at her, catching her off guard. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but you are probably not 100% human- if you are human at all.” Ayanna blinked at him, eyes widening.

“That’s impossible. I couldn’t-“ she garbled, running her hands through her hair as he interrupted her.

“It is quite rare for the human race to have any type of power without them being modified in some way through science or magic… as dumb as they are as a species I don’t believe that they would have experimented on a random child, just to make her play instruments.” Loki claimed, wondering about her heritage. Could she be Eternal? Celestial? Or even possibly Asgardian?


	4. Frigga

*Loki*

Soon after their conversation, the guards came to take Ayanna on a bathroom excursion. Before he could dwell on the revelation that his new neighbour might be Asgardian, his mother came to visit him. He sensed her presence behind him before he heard her speak, her voice liquid honey.

“My son.” Frigga breathed lightly, smiling at him as he turned to face her.

“Your son?” he replied, an edge of sarcasm in his voice.

“I will love you the same, no matter how destructive and hateful you pretend to be.” she answered, that stupid, longing smile still lingering on her face. It both angered and pained him intensely, and he felt his face begin to burn.

“I am what you made me.” he spat, turning his face away from her in an attempt to hide his agony.

“Loki, this was never supposed to be-” she began to speak, but he interrupted.

“Drop the false pretence... Mother. Whatever you have come to say to me, say it now. I have not got the energy or patience for your fake affection.” Loki glared at her from under his eyelids, his entire body tense. Frigga sighed, her face dropping into a more serious expression.

“I am here to discuss your friend in the cell next door.” Frigga perched on the end of his bed, indicating to him to sit down next to her. Loki ignored her and remained standing.

“I’m listening.” he replied simply, marching across the room and sitting in the gilt chair by his bookcase. He was deeply intrigued by the girl next door but did not want his mother to know quite how much.

“She... she should not be here. She doesn’t deserve this- she doesn’t deserve any of this.” Loki’s mother’s voice cracked, tears filling her eyes. Loki was shocked by this sudden display of emotion but remained silent as she continued. “Her father was a musician for the Asgardian Royal Court, and he played sweet beautiful music. He was the best harpist the realm has ever seen.” she smiled as if remembering a fond memory. “He played at my marriage ceremony and there was not a dry eye in the palace.

Asmund was a kind and gentle man, but he was greatly troubled and relied heavily on alcohol to get through the day. One evening, whilst drunk on Asgardian liquor, he was taken advantage of. It was a seeress, a Völva. She seemingly forced herself upon him, and months later a little baby girl appeared at his door. It was his child, and he swore to care for her until his dying breath. Which he did. She grew up in the palace with him, and he loved her so much. She was his everything.”

“I don’t remember ever seeing her.” Loki interrupted her story, wondering how he could have missed that fiery red hair.

“You never needed to visit the servant gallery of the palace Loki. You were a prince.” she responded, smiling at him.

Loki started to feel his resolve weakening, before remembering the lies Odin had told him and remaining resilient. When he didn’t respond to her last words, she continued. “In the last battle of Muspelheim, some of the sons of Muspell broke through the Bifrost and launched an attack on the castle.” Frigga sighed. “As I was assisting Odin’s evacuation, I stumbled upon Asmund protecting the child from being engulfed in fire. Dying, he clutched my hands and told me the reality of what had really happened that night with the Völva. She had promised him a fabled saviour child, a child who was so incredibly powerful that she would save the universe from true evil. In his drunken stupor, he had thought this a great idea. Asmund died before he could finish telling me the truth. All I saw were her wild green eyes staring at me from behind his body, her power surging through her fear. He had been trying and failing for years to teach her to control her magic. Her body trembled with untamed energy. I took her into my care, but once the sons of Muspell were dealt with, it was left to Odin to decide her fate. He decided that she was too dangerous to reside on Asgard and that she must be banished. I was tasked with wiping her memories and taking her to Midgard, where she was to live a normal life. It-it broke my heart.” Frigga’s eyes filled with tears and she wiped them away.

Loki listened intently to every word of her story, his fist clenching at the sight of his mother in pain. He acted so tenaciously around her when in reality, he cared for her deeply. Despite himself, he could not reach out to comfort her.

“I’m sorry to give you this burden, my Loki. Her story is truly devastating to me, and the guilt I feel for leaving that poor child on Midgard with no recollection of any the love she had ever received truly shattered me. I have vowed to one day return her memories and remind her of her father who cared for her like no other.” Frigga finished, crossing her legs and studying his reaction.

“Why is she here, in this prison?” Loki enquired.

“After your little stunt in New York, it was brought to the attention of the king that the great Titan, Thanos, had become a threat to society, and that he may be looking for the girl. He had her brought here to protect her from harm.” she replied.

“Her name is Ayanna. Call her that.” he rose from his chair and snapped, angry that his mother would not speak her name.

“I’m sorry my son. The guilt... is indescribable. It is the reason I am here now.” she stood up and walked towards him. “Please... find out what makes her happy. I will bring her anything she desires. I could not make her comfortable on Midgard but I can make her comfortable here. Please do this for me.”

“Ayanna takes after her father.” he mumbled under his breath. Frigga just looked at him with an expression of shock. “She can play any musical instrument with ease.”

“Then I shall bring Ayanna every instrument I can think of. Please do not tell her of her heritage, of my... mistake. It could break her heart. Loki... thank you for this. Thank you for listening.” she gazed into his eyes, tears filling them once more. She continued softly. “You may not believe me, but I love you greatly my dear, despite what your father-”

“-he’s not my father.” Loki cut in, turning his back to her.

“Then am I not your mother?” she replied desperately. He turned back around to face her, looking into her lovely warm eyes. Loki truly loved her, so much he could burst. But it was not enough.

“No, you are not.” he hung his head, not looking to see the damage he had caused with his words. Frigga just chuckled at him, leaving him confused. As he looked up, he saw her smile and knew that she had seen through his lies. He reached his pale hands towards her bronzed ones, but when they were about to touch, she faded away into thin air. His heart shattered.

“Hey there bad guy. What did I miss? Are we doing charades now?” Ayanna had re-entered the cell next to him, a smile on her face. She had bathed, and scraped her hair into a long scruffy plait that fell past her shoulders. Her old Midgardian clothes were gone and she wore traditional Asgardian dress- a fine tunic with a pattern of green and purple. He realised his arms were still outstretched and dropped them, embarrassed. He shook off this embarrassment and grinned at her.

“Well, have I got a story for you.”


	5. Music

*Ayanna* 

Ayanna listened carefully to the story Loki told her in silence. Every word felt like a punch in her gut and she struggled to breathe when she learnt how her father had died protecting her. Her eyes filled with tears as he went on, informing her of exactly why she lost her memories. When he finished, her tears brimmed over and she fell to the floor, sobbing in anguish. Loki fell silent, his eyes fixed on her with a look of genuine sorrow. A few minutes of quiet passed before Ayanna spoke, rubbing her eyes. 

“Well I have to say, it would have been much more fun if you were actually playing charades.” she laughed shakily, smiling weakly at Loki through red eyes. He sighed as if he had been holding his breath for an age. 

“I don’t understand what charades are. I’m just sorry for having to be the one to break your heart.” he replied uncharacteristically, studying the expression on her face closely. She could tell Loki had slightly warmed to her since their initial squabble, although he still mainly held a closed resolve with her. Ayanna struggled to understand her sentiments towards him. He was growing on her certainly, but she could not forget what heinous crimes he had committed towards innocent people. Having said that, there was a deep sadness in his eyes, as if he was trying to prove himself as something he was not. She felt herself completely and unequivocally drawn to him, with his sorrowful, piercing gaze and obsidian black hair leaving her spellbound. 

“Thank you for telling me anyway. Despite what happened, your mother sounds like a lovely woman. You are very lucky to have her.” she responded, feeling a striking pang of jealousy in her heart. He scoffed. 

“That woman is a liar and a fake.” Loki spat, clenching his fists in displeasure. 

“Care to elaborate on your story then, Mr Mischief?” she challenged with a grin. “You already know mine.” 

“That’s Lord Mischief to you, thank you very much.” he smirked. “But unfortunately, I am once again going to disappoint you. I’d rather hear more about this charade you speak of. Midgard seems to have all the fun. Wait, is it something edible?” 

*Later* 

The guards surprised Ayanna by entering her cell out of normal schedule. She was sitting cross-legged on the floor, speaking to Loki through their shared wall, teaching him how to play Rock, Paper, Scissors. They were laughing like old friends. Two of the guards strode towards her, grabbing her and hauling to her feet. 

“Hey!” Loki exclaimed, rising up indignantly. Ayanna was pulled to the side of the cell with her arms pinned. She initially struggled before realizing it was futile. Ayanna thought longingly about these magical abilities that she had no recollection of- she was sure that with some of that power she could free herself from this wretched prison. 

Other guards began to drag musical instruments into the cell; string, woodwind, percussion- some of them she had never seen before in her life. She caught a glimpse of an ornate grand piano, and her heart soared. Finally, the influx of instruments stopped and the guards released her. As they retreated back through the barrier, one turned back to her. His metal armour glimmered in the artificial light. 

“Queen Frigga sends these gifts with the warmest regards.” he bowed and vanished. 

Ayanna stepped towards the piano, her fingers tinkling on the keys. She felt a pure, unbridled joy begin to bubble and surge inside her. Music. It filled her veins with bliss and comfort, and she felt her internal fire ignite with passion. The keys were cool and satisfying under her fingertips. She played a soft melody, grinning wildly with the pleasure of creating music once more. The redheaded girl pulled the black leather stool out from underneath, sat herself down and began to play. Her soul poured out through the tune she played, and the prison was filled with the harmonic melody. Ayanna caught Loki’s gaze, and he was beaming at her with an expression of amusement. She smiled back at him, nearly lost in the music. 

*Loki* 

Loki revelled in the talent of the girl in front of him. She was incredibly skilled, and her music was magnificent. It was purely blissful to listen to. He thought he could feel no other feeling than sheer calm and relaxation. 

Then she began to sing. Her voice was truly angelic, and he felt his heart skip a beat. His entire body softened to the sound, and he felt as if he were melting. She sang of rivers and waterfalls, blue skies and white clouds. It was heaven to his ears. Loki sank into his chair, not taking his eyes away from his ball of fire and her beautiful sound. He sincerely wished that the song would never finish, but when it finally did, he rose to his feet and began to clap slowly, grinning from ear to ear. 

“Well that was incredible, Miss Music.” he exclaimed, still smiling. She shut the piano lid and smirked back at him. 

“That’s Lady Music to you, my friend.”


End file.
